Showcase 10 (September-October 1957)

The third Lois Lane story this issue–by Otto Binder, Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye–finally provides something to talk about. The two previous stories (with Binder writing one, Jerry Coleman another) are more sitcom. Well, except the Coleman one, but I’ll come back to it.

The third story features Lois getting superpowers from some Kryptonian gadgets Jor-El sent to Earth in a second rocket. They remained undiscovered until Superman was an adult. So Lois is racing around, saving people and having some problems since she’s not super-observant or indestructible. Binder never specifies Superman’s concern–it comes off as sexist, since there’s no explanations. He certainly never tries to train her. Not a super-mean Superman, but a selfish one.

Coleman’s story about Lois going blind is the issue’s best. Unlike Binder, he doesn’t portray either character as petty or moronic.

Boring and Kaye’s art is, well, boring.

Superman (1939) #242

S242

The Pseudo-Superman story comes to its close with Superman choosing to be de-powered. It’s a strange move, since he’s still really, really powerful. Maybe not Silver Age powerful, but he hadn’t really been doing those feats during the rest of the issues… it’s a little confusing. It’s an effective scene, but it doesn’t hold up under much scrutiny.

Similarly, Superman’s decision to fight Pseudo-Superman to the death… again, shouldn’t he have tried to work something out with him.

It’s a good close though. O’Neil fits tons of story in–most of the issue focuses on these two bums slash crooks who “kidnap” an inter-dimensional being and use it to beat up Superman and terrorize the world in general. Some great art on those pages.

The beating up Superman scene is particularly rough to read, since it’s all so vicious.

The final scene’s a little anticlimactic though.

Superman (1939) #241

S241

I guess Wonder Woman wasn’t much of a draw back in the early 1970s because her guest appearance is a surprise (there’s no mention on the cover) and she’s practically in the issue more than Superman.

Following up on Superman’s epiphany from the previous issue (he’d prefer to live a normal life), Wonder Woman’s Indian sidekick convinces him otherwise. It’s only a couple pages, but it’s effective, maybe because O’Neil’s dialogue for Superman is so desperate.

But then there’s the subsequent problem (where Wonder Woman takes over). Superman has super-brain damage and is acting like a (well-intentioned) goofball. It’s almost like they have him do Silver Age things, then deal with the “real world” consequences.

The sand double gets a solid explanation here, along with a goofy name: Pseudo-Superman.

The reprint back-ups are cute, but out of place for the serious–if humorously handled–feature story.